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Pawlenty: GOP needs more candidates who aren't older, white males

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) warned Friday that the GOP should
encourage more candidates who aren't middle-aged men as candidates.

On
the heels of primaries in which a number of women candidates, many of
them Republicans, won their party's nomination, Pawlenty said he
thought this year's elections would be, in part, "the year of the
woman."

"Our party needs to have more faces and voices that
aren't middle-aged men," Pawlenty said during an appearance on ABC's
"Good Morning America."

Mentioning the victories of GOP
candidates Susana Martinez in New Mexico and Meg Whitman and Carly
Fiorina in California, Pawlenty said the GOP must "celebrate the
success of our female candidates," which he says will help "the
pendulum swing back our way" in the fall.

"This is going to be in part the year of women," the potential 2012 presidential candidate said.

Host
George Stephanopoulos pointed out that Pawlenty did not mention the
victory of Sharron Angle in Nevada and asked about his opinion on her
strong calls to abolish Social Security and the EPA and make alcohol
illegal.

Pawlenty said he thought Angle would be successful in
the end despite her somewhat controversial positions, avoiding
criticizing the Tea Party movement that heavily backed Angle's
candidacy.

-- Cross-posted from the Blog Briefing Room.

Pawlenty also appeared on the Daily Show Thursday night. Video of his appearance can be seen here.